Q. One of the blocks is stuck in a corner, stopping it from being knocked over completely. How do I fix it?

A. ZenDots 2 is a very freeform physics game. As such, there are countless combinations of interactions the objects in the game can make. On rare occasions, these interactions may result in a block ending up in such a situation. When this happens, simply press the pause button in the lower left corner of the screen, and choose to retry the level.

Q. Why are there leaderboards for only some of the levels?

A. Approximately half the currently available levels have leaderboards. Some of the levels are very straight forward, and would result in the leaderboards being filled with nearly idential scores. So we are only providing leaderboards for levels that have shown to have many score variations.

Q. How do I access the leaderboards?

A. If a level has a leaderboard, you will see the words "global leaderboard" throbbing on the menu's level. Tap that, and if you have Game Center active, you will be taken to the leaderboards.

A. Yes, the puzzles in the game are different than the puzzles in PuzzleBits 1. The only puzzle that is the same is the first puzzle, the turtle. It is the same because the turtle is the PuzzleBits brand logo, and acts as the tutorial to the game. Many PuzzleBits 2 players did not play PuzzleBits 1, so the turtle tutorial is there to teach them how to play the game. All the puzzles following the first one (the turtle) are entirely unique to PuzzleBits 2. If you left a negative review on the App Store, regarding all the puzzles being the same, we'd really appreciate it if you'd change it, as it simply isn't true.

Please note: This FAQ is for the iOS version only. Support for the Android version is handled by Noodlecake Studios at www.noodlecake.com. The answers below may not be relevant to the Android version.

Q. Can the game be completed without buying anything?

A. Yes! The entire game is free to play. The only things you can buy are hints.

Q. How do I restore my progress if I switch to a new device?

A. This game uses Apple's keychain saving mechanism to store progress and in app purchases. This allows your progress and purchased items to be saved, even if you delete the game, and reinstall it.
However, we only recently discovered that doing a basic backup of your device to iTunes, or to iCloud, does not restore the game information on a new device. It will properly restore to the original device, as it is keyed to that specific device as a security measure by Apple.
If you are using iTunes to backup your device, there is a way to get the game information on a new device. Simply check the box that says Encrypt iPhone backup, and it will create a backup that will be able to be used to restore the game data to your new device. Without that box checked, it will only restore the game data to the original device.
If you are using iCloud, Apple recently changed the rules regarding the keychain, to where it will only restore the keychain data to the original device, as a security measure.

A. Absolutely! During testing, all 100 levels were completed by a few different people, without ever purchasing additional coins from the game store. In fact, all purchasing options were disabled during testing, to ensure the game was fun, without forcing the player to purchase anything. The store is there for any players who need a little extra help in the game, or would like to thank us for the game in a meaningful way.

Q. How do I restore my progress if I switch to a new device?

A. This game uses Apple's keychain saving mechanism to store progress and in app purchases. This allows your progress and purchased items to be saved, even if you delete the game, and reinstall it.
However, we only recently discovered that doing a basic backup of your device to iTunes, or to iCloud, does not restore the game information on a new device. It will properly restore to the original device, as it is keyed to that specific device as a security measure by Apple.
If you are using iTunes to backup your device, there is a way to get the game information on a new device. Simply check the box that says Encrypt iPhone backup, and it will create a backup that will be able to be used to restore the game data to your new device. Without that box checked, it will only restore the game data to the original device.
If you are using iCloud, Apple recently changed the rules regarding the keychain, to where it will only restore the keychain data to the original device, as a security measure.

Q. How do the bombs work exactly?

A. When you activate the bomb booster, all the pieces on the board begin to throb. You can place the bomb on any spot on the board, filled or unfilled. That spot will become the center of the bomb detonation. A bomb will remove pieces from three locations, with your chosen spot being the center explosion, and the other two to the immediate left and right of that spot. Explosions are contained within a single ring.

Q. I can't get a high enough score. Are there any tips for this?

A. The game is designed to reward you for promoting pieces from the outer rings to the inner rings. When a ring disappears, the game remembers how well you did on that ring, and your future scores for the other rings are adjusted based on that performance. In short, how well you utilize the given game board during the entire round directly affects how many points you get. You will score much higher if you try to promote the pieces you are given, rather than just making easy matches in the center ring.

Q. The game seems pretty easy so far. Does it get harder?

A. It gets very hard! The game is split into groups of five rounds, with each group introducing a new type of challenge, or new mix of existing challenges. The difficulty increases within each section of five, but also increases throughout the 100 levels. The exact point where the game gets difficult is very dependent on the player's skill level.

Q. I'm out of coins. How do I get more?

A. You can earn more coins by replaying the level you are on, as well as completing levels. You can also purchase coins from the game store, by tapping the shopping cart icon at the bottom of the screen. Additionally, there is a coin doubler for sale, which will let you earn twice as many coins during normal gameplay.

Q. Apple's notification tab keeps appearing when I slide my finger along the left side of the screen. How do I stop this from happening

A. Apple made a change to the orientation checking of the notification tab in the iOS 5.1 update, which caused the tab to appear on the wrong side of the screen when returning via quick launch. Please update to the newest version of the game, and the problem will be gone.

Q. Apple's notification tab keeps appearing when I slide my finger near the top of the screen. How do I stop this from happening?

A. Apple does not allow us to disable this feature. Many app developers have asked Apple to allow us to disable it, as it affects many games. Unfortunately, Apple has yet to comment on the issue. If you'd like developers to be able to disable this feature, please contact Apple, and let them know your feelings on the subject.

Q. How do I position the pieces?

A. To learn how to move, flip, and rotate the pieces in the game, please watch the full tutorial, which is available on the menu screen in the game.

Q. How do I rotate pieces?

A. To rotate a piece, first select the piece by tapping on it. A selection ring will appear. Simply slide your finger along the edge of the ring, and the piece will turn.

Q. How do I get a hint?

A. Each puzzle allows two hints. To cycle through the available hints, simply double tap in any open area of the puzzle screen, and a portion of the shadowed area will darken, showing you where a random piece should go.

Q. TanZen quits unexpectedly. How do I stop this from happening?

A. There have been reports of random crashes for many apps available from the App Store. If this is happening for you with TanZen, please try the following steps, one at a time, until your problem is resolved:

1. Turn off, then on, your device, holding down the power button. Now try TanZen again.

2. Fully turn off the device, holding both the power button, and the Home button, until you're prompted to power off the device. Power off the device. Then hold the power button until the device starts again. Now try TanZen again.

Q. I solved the puzzle, but TanZen doesn't think I solved it. How do I solve the puzzle?

A. There are two rules that need to be followed to solve a puzzle:

1. Make sure none of the pieces are overlapped. An overlap icon will appear in the upper left corner of the screen when you have overlapped pieces.

2. All pieces should be inside the shadowed puzzle area. If you have pieces hanging outside the shadow, try moving them inside the shadow.

Q. I can't figure out a puzzle. One of the pieces just won't fit. How do I get it to fit?

A. Try flipping the piece by double tapping it with your finger, and then try to place it. Many of the puzzles require one of the pieces to be flipped.

Q. I can't see the piece I'm moving under my finger. How can I see what I'm doing?

A. The Selection Ring surrounds the piece you are currently trying to position. You may touch anywhere inside the ring to move your piece. This allows you to position the piece, without having your finger on top of the piece.

Q. Apple's notification tab keeps appearing when I slide my finger along the left side of the screen. How do I stop this from happening?

A. Apple made a change to the orientation checking of the notification tab in the iOS 5.1 update, which caused the tab to appear on the wrong side of the screen when returning via quick launch. Please update to the newest version of the game, and the problem will be gone.

Q. Apple's notification tab keeps appearing when I slide my finger near the top of the screen. How do I stop this from happening?

A. Apple does not allow us to disable this feature. Many app developers have asked Apple to allow us to disable it, as it affects many games. Unfortunately, Apple has yet to comment on the issue. If you'd like developers to be able to disable this feature, please contact Apple, and let them know your feelings on the subject.

Q. One of my pieces has grown too large. How do I fix this?

A. Simply move the piece back to the side of the screen, and let go. This should reset the piece. If that doesn't work, simply give your device a few firm shakes, and all your pieces will return to their default locations and sizes.

Q. How do I position the pieces?

A. You can move, flip, and rotate pieces. To move, simply slide your finger over a piece. To rotate, first select the piece by tapping on it once, and then tap again to rotate 90 degrees. To flip, simply double tap a piece that is already selected.

Q. How do I get a hint?

A. Each puzzle allows a minimum number of hints, based on the number of pieces it takes to complete the puzzle. To cycle through the available hints, simply double tap in any open area of the puzzle screen, and a portion of the shadowed area will darken, showing you where a random piece should go.

Q. The game quits unexpectedly. How do I stop this from happening?

A. There have been reports of random crashes for many apps available from the App Store. If this is happening for you, please try the following steps, one at a time, until your problem is resolved:

1. Turn off, then on, your device, holding down the power button. Now try the game again.

2. Fully turn off the device, holding both the power button, and the Home button, until you're prompted to power off the device. Power off the device. Then hold the power button until the device starts again. Now try the game again.

Q. I solved the puzzle, but the game doesn't think I solved it. How do I solve the puzzle?

A. There are two rules that need to be followed to solve a puzzle:

1. Make sure none of the pieces inside the shadowed area are overlapped.

2. All the shadowed squares need to be covered by pieces that are fully inside the shadow.